Four Leafed Clovers
by Fifty Points of the Mind
Summary: It's kind of hard to give up everything you believe and go chasing after a dream you might not even believe is yours. Maybe my luck will change... SouMi
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own any of the Rurouni Kenshin characters. I'm not getting anything out of this and am only doing it for fun. There, happy now?  
  
Some time ago, in the fourteenth year of the Meiji Era, a secret battle transpired between the young government and a madman named Shishio Makoto. A former shadow killer Himura Battousai managed to eliminate this threat to the nation, also bringing down ten of the most dangerous individuals in Japan. However, two of these "Juppon Gatana" managed to elude the grasp of the law. One, which was later found to be a mechanical puppet created by a skilled craftsman, was found rotting in a barn, and his case was considered closed. But, the most dangerous of the "Juppon Gatana", the one called Soujirou "Tenken" Seta, was never found and is still considered a great threat by the police. Some say he suffered a great mental collapse after doing battle with the Battousai, and still others say that he was locked away somewhere in the dungeons of Kyoto's police department. A few say that he became tired of killing and was living peacefully in the mountains. Of course, these are all just rumors and should be treated as such. As to whatever really did happen to "Tenken" Seta, we may never truly find out... 


	2. Ara does not mean I'm gay

Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own any of the Rurouni Kenshin characters. I'm not getting anything out of this and am only doing it for fun. There, happy now?  
  
Three years have passed:  
  
"Hey you! Wearing a sword in public is against the law!" A policeman shouted at a young man wearing a threadbare blue kimono. "Uh oh..." the man thought as he slowly turned to face the policeman. "Yes officer?" He asked innocently with a smile, looking as though he were only noticing the policeman who was screaming at him earlier. "Boy, do you not know that the Meiji government outlawed swords years ago? Come on, I'm taking you to the station." Said the irritable policeman. "Ah, if you wish, officer, you make confiscate my blade, but I have urgent business to attend to and I am pressed for time." Came his curt reply, unfastening the wakazashi from his belt with his smile still present. "Are you mocking me, boy?" The officer said, his eyes narrowing to the man in front of him. "Ara?" Soujirou replied a confused look on his face. "Ara? What kind of womanly man are you, using terms such as that! You're going to the station now!" He said sternly, dragging the now fully addled youth away.  
  
However...  
  
"I am truly sorry, but I have to go now. You can take the coat, Ok? Ok. Thank you, bye-bye." A cheery voice said. The policeman turned to see that he was holding an empty jacket. "Hey?!" The policeman yelled, throwing the kimono to the ground. "Stop that man!" The officer yelled, blowing his whistle. "Ah. So much fuss for one little sword..." The young man thought as he ran through the crowds...  
  
"Geez. I'm a little late. I hope Aoshi-sama doesn't mind." A hurried Makimachi Misao mused as she walked briskly toward the temple the stoic Okashira meditated in. "Well, better late than never." She said to herself. She turned the intersection, humming a cheerful tune.  
  
"I think I lost him." Soujirou said as he turned a corner and looked behind him. He was so absorbed with losing the policeman that he failed to notice that there was another person crossing his path.  
  
"Ara?!"  
  
"HEY!!!"  
  
A flash of white, blue and dull green tea exploded in the small crossroads as the two people crashed into each other. "Oops." The boy said, staring at the mess he had created. The teapot was in pieces on the floor, and the tray was nowhere to be seen. However, this was nothing compared to the sight before him. "That...was...really...hot..." Misao said slowly, the steaming tea spilling all over her shirt.  
  
Then she exploded. "YOU CREEP! Why don't you watch where you're going! I could have been killed because of you running around like a monkey with it's tail on fire! And what the hell's up with 'Ara' anyway? Are you some sort of wuss?!" she screamed into the poor boy's ears. "Uh, gomen-nasai?" a small voice came out of his throat. "That's it?! A wimpy sorry?! Why I ought a'. " she began to rant.  
  
Of course Soujirou (if you hadn't figured it by now, here's a clue.) didn't really mean to bump into her. Nor his wimpy voice. Nor did he mean to spill the tea over Misao's light house shirt. Nor did he mean for the wet material to take shape of Misao's...err... body. And he certainly didn't mean to stare at her perfectly shaped "figure" going up and down, side to side almost hypnotically as the little firebrand raged on animatedly. Damn, with a mental picture like that, I might as well tell you that the past three years have been very good for the kunoichi's 'development'.  
  
"HEY! Are you even listening to me?" the female ninja in question shouted. She started to notice however, where Soujirou's line of sight were pointing towards. "YOU PERV!" she yelled.  
  
"Kansatsu Tobikunai!"  
  
The glint of metal instantly snapped Soujirou out of his stupor. Quickly reacting to the upcoming shuriken, he used his blinding speed to back away a few feet. Unfortunately, Misao had the most unfortunate luck as to blink, only seeing the Tenken magically sidestep her knives. "What the?!" Misao thought out loud. "I'm sorry for all the inconvenience I have brought upon you, ma'am. Good day." A sincere yet still childish smile played upon Soujirou's lips as he bowed, and went his way.  
  
"Freaky..." was all Misao could say as the man once again receded into the crossroads. But of course, she had more pressing matters to attend to."...Oh no. Aoshi-sama's tea!"  
  
Notes:  
  
There. Done. First chapter. You know what to do now. To get next chapter, put bar on Submit Review and click Go. To make author happy, put bar on any "add to" selections and press go. To not get author pissed off, do not select Report possible Abuse. Do not click go. Do not collect 200 dollars. All right. Soujirou rocks-End  
  
-FPotM 


	3. Prison Latrine?

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.   
  
I'm only doing this to further my writing abilities.  
  
Thanks to roxyravette, ESP, and Kurtain for reviewing. You guys helped me get on to the next chapter, so here it is.  
  
Chapter Two  
  
'I can't believe I have to go back all the way to the Aoiya because of that stupid smiley jerk.' fumed Misao as she barged through the hostel's doors, with a look of displeasure etched on her face. 'The nerve of that kid, staring at me like that. Aoshi-sama would never be so lecherous. I'm glad that I don't have to see that person ever again.' she thought.  
  
'But it would be nice of Aoshi noticed me sometimes' Looking around, she observed, however, that the Aoiya was a little crowded. Though not jam-packed or anything of that sort, it looked as if she would have to forget about Aoshi's tea for the time being.  
  
The next day:  
  
"My my, when Himura-san said that I've been suppressing emotions, he wasn't kidding." Soujirou said to himself, remembering the events that passed the day before. Most of his life, he had been around appealing women because of the unscrupulous places he had to go for information and contacts and because of Yumi, but he had never really thought of them as beautiful. Actually, Soujirou never really thought about much anything except for Shishio's campaign for Japan and being the strongest. He even wondered sometimes why Shishio was attracted to Yumi in such a way seeing as she was weak and could not benefit Shishio's plans in any way. But that was changed when he lost to the Battousai.  
  
The first few weeks after the battle were like a personal hell for the Tenken. Though outwardly he still seemed as like the emotionless killer he was before, new feelings and influences raged inside him. It seemed as if every action he performed was governed by these new sensations. He even found himself crying for no reason or feel unbridled rage over petty annoyances.  
  
But there was a brighter side to all of this as well. He began to notice little things about the world around him that he would not have under Shishio's philosophy. All around him, he saw examples that blatantly contradicted his master's teachings. Children playing in the streets, in the past, would have seemed liked nothing to him, and to an extreme he would feel a twinge of jealousy for his own lost childhood. Now, he saw them as what they were. Children playing. They didn't need a reason but to feel happy and be with their friends. A mother's care with a child, young lovers show of tenderness, and older couples out for strolls, all of them that once puzzled the Tenken with silly notions such as love and affection now seemed like they could be explained, and he wanted to learn as much as he could.  
  
Of course, there were a few surprises that caught him off guard, such as the incident with the police officer. Though he could have easily outrun the man, he found it... refreshing that he was treated with such equality. He was treated as a citizen of Japan, not an emotionless killer to be revered and feared by his underlings. He wasn't the right-hand man of a takeover force, or the Tenken. To the officer, he was a young, albeit effeminate, lawbreaker who needed to be straightened out. Someone who still had a chance to repent for a crime he committed.  
  
Repent. Soujirou held that word with respect now. Even though he still did not understand much of his new position in life, he understood that some of the things he did were unspeakable terrors. He might not find the answer to his search this year, maybe not the next, or maybe even not at all, but he was going to try anyway. Plus, if being repentant would bring interesting encounters with the fairer sex, all the better for him.  
  
So caught up in his "Oh-thank-God-I-got-my-ass-wupped-by-a-legendary-swordsman" mode, Soujirou failed to notice he had begun to wander into the accommodation area of the city.  
  
Aoiya:  
  
Misao was tired. "Dumb Jiya..." she mumbled as she placed crushed tea leaves into a strainer. "...What kind of idiot would hold a 'hotdog eating competition' in the middle of Japan. It's not as if this country's ever going to get famous for a bunch of skinny guys stuffing their faces." she complained to anyone who was unfortunate enough to share the kitchen with her at the time. "Although that Kobiyashi kid did eat 20 of those gross things in one sitting."  
  
It seemed as though the moderate crowd that gathered in the Aoiya were not "regular customers", but 'competitive' eaters. Not only was she put into overtime with washing dishes and cooking up those American wiener things, she also had to endure a messy 'clean-up' after some of the more inexperienced eaters showed the crowd firsthand how many hotdogs they could eat and then some.  
  
As she placed the leaves into a pot of water, she hears the doors of the Aoiya creak open. Looking around to see if anyone would get the door, she sighed as she was only met with silence. "It figures. As soon as we have a big job done, they all take their sweet time to sleep in and leave me to all the work." Misao once again took up to grumbling. "But these aren't very busy hours either. I wonder who could be around at these times." She speculated seeing that it was still very early. Shrugging it off, she went to meet whomever it may have been, unbeknownst to her that Lady Luck might be throwing her a win-or-lose hand...  
  
Somewhere in the hotel district:  
  
'Now how did I end up here.' Soujirou thought, looking around at the hotels and inns that seemed to be the majority of the buildings in the area. 'Must have been thinking a little too deeply there.' Soujirou deduced, and chuckled a bit at his own little mistake. While he was sniggering to himself, Soujirou was interrupted by an earsplitting yell. "Hey you, swordsman. You look like you need a few days rest. How about staying at the 'Gray Dove' hotel for a while." Shouted a barker, only to be interrupted by another equally annoying voice. "Don't listen to that old fool. If you go with the 'Blue Moon' Inn, we guarantee that you'll sleep so soundly it's like you're at your own bed, only better."  
  
"Yeah, if you like your bed full of ticks and fleas."  
  
"HEY! I thought we said no more muckraking!"  
  
"Well you shouldn't have sabotaged my sushi bar!"  
  
"That was only to get you back for putting itching powder in all my bed sheets, you half-deaf money-hog!"   
  
"Looks at Old Man Scrooge calling the kettle black. I've seen you take a rusted penny out of a prison latrine!"  
  
"The only reason you saw that was because you were going for it too, but I got there first!"  
  
'Heh heh. Such colorful people they have here...' Soujirou thought with a nervous smile as he very slowly backed away from the bickering advertisers. After he turned a curb, he shot off like a bullet. Even an assassin knew when it was time to leave well enough alone. He soon stopped however, when he heard another shout. Not like the barkers from the hotels, but one from a girl...  
  
Aoiya:  
  
All Soujirou heard was a shout. I didn't specify what was being shouted about. "AND DON'T COME BACK, YOU LOSERS!!!" a ticked off Makimachi Misao screamed at a couple of would-be bandits, fleeing from the wrath of the green-eyed firebrand. "Humph...that'll show em'." she said, patting her hands off.  
  
It looked as if a couple of amateur robbers thought that they could rob the Aoiya out of all the places in the area just because the knew it would have more money because of the eat-off. They didn't know that it was the headquarters of one of Kyoto's most influential groups, or was it filled with experienced ninjas and spies. And they certainly didn't count upon a ill-tempered girl like her could hit so hard.  
  
"Now to get back to Aoshi's tea..." Misao said, going back inside the Aoiya to ready the tray.  
  
Back to Soujirou:  
  
'This is where I heard the shout.' the Tenken thought, going inside the hostel. 'Doesn't seem that there's any trouble, but I might as well check anyway.  
  
In the kitchen:  
  
"Hey Misao." Okon said as she came into the kitchen. "Hello Okon. I had to run out some two-bit thieves just a minute ago." Misao snapped. 'Well someone's in a bad mood today.' Okon mused, seeing as the ninja moved like she was angry at something. "I'm going out to visit Aoshi, so you hold the fort for a while, ok?" Misao said as she went out the back door of the kitchen. "All right, Misao..." Okon replied.  
  
As she began to clean up the tealeaves left behind, she heard the front door open. "Oh, must be a customer..." Okon thought out loud, going out to see to the person...  
  
Author's notes:  
  
So this one's done, on to the next.It looks as if people think of my fic as cute, and I'm okay with that. The only real problem I have is that there are so many fics being added or updated to the RK section that this one doesn't get much hang-time. On a lighter note, I'd like to report that the number of Soujirou fics are growing in the fanfiction library. I'm seeing them pop up in all sorts of places that have no connection with RK whatsoever. I'd like to see this trend continue. The only question I have left is that do people consider Misao-Soujirou couplings an alternative or real pairing yet? I'd like to know your opinion.  
  
As always, press that review button, and speak your mind.  
  
-FPotM 


	4. Pink Aprons

Disclaimer: I don't own RK.  
  
Chapter Three Pink Aprons  
  
"Hello, anyone here?" Soujirou called out as he entered the empty Aoiya. 'I swear I heard a scream coming from here.' thought the Tenken, looking around. 'Must have been my imagination.' he concluded. He was just about to leave when he heard someone coming in to the hall.  
  
"Good morning. Welcome to the Aoiya. How may we help you today?" Okon said to the Tenken. 'Oh well. I might as well get breakfast.' Soujirou thought, turning back to the dining hall.  
  
The Temples:  
  
Misao walked through the silent corridor with a calm that reflected the early morning. Bringing tea to her Aoshi-sama over the years had brought to her a sort of balance, as if she herself were meditating as the sun crept up the sky.  
  
As she walked through the hallways, the monks of the temple flicked their eyes up for a moment but dismissed her as soon as they saw the trademark braid and her emerald eyes. A couple of years ago, it was very uncommon for a woman to come up to the temple by herself, and Misao's youthfulness took a couple of the monks by surprise. But after her almost daily visits, they had gotten used to her presence as they had over Aoshi's statuesque meditation sessions. A couple even gave her a friendly smile, which she returned with a smile of her own.  
  
The temple did calm down Misao's temper a bit, as her daily routine fell into place. Yes, she liked things this way.  
  
In a temple room/hall:  
  
Shinomori Aoshi sat deep in concentration. The Okashira of the Oniwabanshu had spent many a day contemplating over his thoughts in this place. Mostly it was about Hanyaa and the others, the way he acted when he wanted revenge against Himura. But today, his thoughts were preoccupied by a certain young ninja. "Misao..." Aoshi said, is voice barely above a whisper, both confirming the name and arrival of the said ninja.  
  
Misao respectfully bowed even though Aoshi's back was facing her. "Good Morning Aoshi-sama..." Misao began, placing the tray quietly on Aoshi's side. "I brought you tea." she said, sitting beside Aoshi. "I see." Was all Aoshi said, but didn't take the tea. There was a comfortable silence between them, almost as if there was no other way for them to be. Aoshi reached for his side and took a cup in hand, drinking it slowly, savoring the heat and the taste.  
  
"How is it?" Misao meekly asked. "It's very good. Thank you for bringing it, Misao." Aoshi replied, his stone mask still on but a sort of shimmer in his eye told Misao that he appreciated her company. "You're welcome, Aoshi-sama." Misao said, turning to face her knees to hide her small blush. Even though she told people that she would never change, Misao definitely did mature over the years, even if she never showed this quiet, sensitive side to anyone other than Aoshi.  
  
As Aoshi finished his tea, he remembered the reason why he was thinking about Misao so much this morning. "Misao. I'm going away to visit some of my old 'friends'." Aoshi began, stressing the word friend, meaning the graves of the old Oniwabanshu. "I might be gone for a month in the least." he added, before taking the cup back to his mouth, giving Misao time to digest the information. "Oh. Do you want me to come along, Aoshi- sama?" Misao questioned, her voice with a hint of hopefulness. "No." Aoshi simply stated. "Oh..." Misao said, lowering her head. "...I want you here to look over Okina and the others. I want you to guard the Aoiya in my place of Okashira." Aoshi continued. "M-me, Aoshi-sama?" Misao whispered. "Don't worry. I trust you." Aoshi said, finally finishing his cup.  
  
Aoshi turned his back again, and closed his eyes. "I'm finished with my tea Misao. Thank you for coming." he said, before once again meditating on the world. Misao gingerly took the tray up, but inwardly she was jumping for joy.  
  
The Aoiya:  
  
"Here you go." Okon said, bringing another plate to Soujirou. "Ah, thank you very much." He said, taking the hotdog. "My, these things are good..." he said, taking a big bite. "My compliments to the chef." he said, his smile slightly wider. "That would be Misao. She's not here right now but I'll make sure she gets the message." Okon replied.  
  
"Misao. That sounds familiar. Where have I heard that name before?" Soujirou thought out loud. "Oh, you know Misao?" Okon said, perking her ears up. 'My my, Misao. You never mentioned that you knew such a nice handsome young man.' "Did I say that out loud?" Soujirou said in mild surprise. "It looks like I'm thinking too deeply again." he said, scratching the back of his head. "Well, here's the bill." Okon said, bringing him the tab. "Oh, just let me get my..." Soujirou began, but his eyes grew wide as he reached into his non-existent sleeve, remembering that the policeman still had his coat. "Uh, it looks like I forgot my wallet in my jacket this morning..." he squeaked as the normally amiable Okon suddenly looked as if she would grow fangs and bite his head off. "Eh heh... heh... heh?" Soujirou laughed nervously.  
  
Okon dragged the jacketless rurouni into the kitchen, gave him a pink apron, and pointed to the pile of dishes that didn't get washed yesterday. Soujirou just sighed and picked up the scrubs and soap. It looked like he might get to compliment the chef after all.  
  
Back in the front of the Aoiya:  
  
"I'm back, everyone." Misao cheerily said as she came back to the Aoiya. "Well someone did a 180 on the emotional ramp..." Okon said, smiling to see Misao in a good mood. Misao only nodded with a big smile, not letting on about anything that happened that day.  
  
In the Kitchen:  
  
Okina was bored. Having his fun yesterday with the eat-off, he found himself with almost nothing to do with his time. He sighed, shaking his head. "Sometimes retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be." he said to no one in particular. He was wondering where Misao was since he knew Aoshi told her about her responsibilities. His thoughts were interrupted by a jovial whistling coming from the kitchen. And being the bored old man he was, Okina decided to check it out.  
  
Soujirou was busily washing dishes with amazing speed when Okina came in. With a smile on his face and a tune in his heart, Soujirou cleared one stack of plates after another. "Well well, what do we have here..." Okina said, making his presence known. Walking over to the young man, Okina was amazed to see the rurouni take out so many dishes that took his own employees a good few hours to clean.  
  
"Ara?" Soujirou said, seeing nothing great or spectacular about his performance. Okina looked Soujirou over. "Ah, did Okon or Omasu hire you, Miss?" he said. Soujirou smile seemed to crack. 'Why do guys always think that I'm a girl?' he asked himself inwardly. "Actually, it's sir." Soujirou replied with a twitchy eyebrow and his cracked smile. Okina's eyes nearly bugged out. "Y-you're a guy?!"  
  
The yard:  
  
"Hey Kuro. Have you seen Gramps? I need to talk to him" Misao asked. "Oh, Sir Okina was in the kitchen the last time I saw him, with that new girl." he said, pointing towards their direction. "Thanks." Misao said, skipping that way, humming the same tune Soujirou was whistling purely by a lucky chance.  
  
The Kitchen:  
  
"I see. SO that's why you're wearing the pink apron." Okina said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Yes, well. It's really my fault that I lost my coat. This was the way Miss Okon thought of me paying for my meal." Soujirou said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "I think you've learned your lesson." Okina replied amusedly, pointing towards the mountain of sparkly clean dishes. "Ara. I guess I got carried away." Soujirou chuckled. 'Man this guy is gay...' Okina groaned inwardly at the giggling Tenken '...but.'  
  
Okina got a sparkle in his eye. "Soujirou, how would you like to work for the Aoiya for a while. It looks like you need the money, and judging by that pile over there, you're going to work hard." Okina suggested. "Sure, why not?" Soujirou replied, not even taking time to think about the proposition. "That was quick." Okina amusedly said in mild surprise. "Ah, life is short and easily wasted, Okina-san. I'm trying to live what's left of mine in peace and to the fullest." Soujirou said with his smile, not really answering Okina's question but satisfying the old spy nonetheless. "Well, you seem like an honest man, Soujirou..." Okina said, starting to get up. "... I don't think you will cause us any trouble." he finished walking out. "I certainly hope not..." Soujirou whispered under his breath, his smile dropping as he remembered why he was in Kyoto in the first place.  
  
"Well, no use in thinking about that right now." Soujirou said, putting his rurouni smile back on. Turning back to the dishes, Soujirou saw that the water was a bit murky. 'Looks as if I have to change the dishwater.' he thought, picking up a bucket and heading to the water pump.  
  
The front door of the kitchen:  
  
"Jiya." Misao called, looking around the empty kitchen. 'Guess he's not here...' Misao thought. "Wow, somebody's been working overtime..." Misao thought out loud seeing the mountain of dishes on the counter. Backing up to take a better look at the pile, she didn't notice the back door opening.  
  
"I think this much'll do." Soujirou said to himself, checking the heavy water-filled bucket, oblivious to the girl backing into him.  
  
"Ara?!"  
  
"HEY!!!"  
  
Again a flash of white and blue occurred as the two teens crashed into each other. "Umm...oops?" Soujirou said in his tiny voice, seeing as he had once again soaked the female ninja head to toe. "You again..." Misao snarled, her eyes blazing at the sight of the smiling rurouni. "Eep..." Soujirou squeaked as the emerald-eyed ninja mouthed two words. "Start running..."  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
I just realized that if I tack on Misao&Sou on to this fic, more people will review. Truly I see the power of the alternate pairing (though in my mind this will still be one of the very best). I've noticed that most people have come to expect regular main character pairing, such as K&K, Megumi/Sano and the rest of their like, but people seem to rally at the idea of alt. pairs. Maybe it's because of the fierce loyalty they hold to their favorite characters, or some other unforseen force, but it is a great to see such dedication of the fans to fics like these. Well, on lighter notes, for a highly trained assassin/swordsman and ninja, Misao and Soujirou seem to be totally oblivious to each other's presence when they're in the same room. Perhaps it's because they both learned how to hide their presences, but I personally like to hold it to the fact that they are destined lovers whose aura's are so much like one another's that they are comfortable in the presence of each other and will ultimately be drawn together like the moon to the earth, like magnets of opposite charges, like... uh, I'm out of attractions, but I'm sure they've got a hell of a lot going for each other. Now for my reviewers.  
  
Chaosu: Pinoy ka rin pala, a. I know that there are a lot of Filipinos on this site, but I never thought a kabayan would review on mine. It looks as if Misao has matured in more ways than one. Though the sparks haven't flown yet, the match is getting ready to strike.  
  
Kurtain: Hmm, I never thought about Misao and Aoshi's relationpship like that. This'll make it a little bit easier for the inevitable Soujirou and Aoshi comparisons Misao will have later on. Thanks for all of the suggestions. I'm sure I'll be able to put them to good use.  
  
Oro and Squeaks: I'm glad that you like it. I hope this chapter satisfies you for now. I read your story, and though I haven't reviewed on it yet, it seems that it'll be a MisaoxSoujirou classic.  
  
Well, that takes care of everyone so far. Hope you guys will review again, and for those who are reading but haven't commented yet, press that button and tell me your opinion.  
  
You know who wrote this- FPotM 


	5. Hitting on, Hitting off

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or any of it's characters.  
  
Chapter four Hitting on, hitting off...  
  
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Actually, all you've got to do is piss her off rrreeeaaalllyyy bad. Soujirou had to find that out the hard way. "Come back here you smiley little perverted water-soaking freak!" Misao screamed at the top of her lungs to the hapless Tenken, who was stammering apologies.  
  
"Gomengomengomengomengomengomen!!!" Soujirou yelled out, amazed that the female ninja was somehow keeping up with him. Misao noticed this. "Hmm. This guy's pretty fast for a common thief" she thought, but brushed the thought off impatiently as the Tenken went out through the kitchen's back door and into the courtyard. "You're not getting away that easy!" she shouted, going out and resuming chase.  
  
All around the Aoiya the hunt ensued. Okon and Omasu, who were hanging up laundry, felt a sudden gush of wind as the two teenagers ran past them. "Oh, isn't it sweet. They're having a spat..." Okon said, turning to Omasu who only shook her head. "I don't know. Whatever happened to the days when the guy chased the girl." Omasu replied. "Well I think it's cute." Okon said, reaching to her side to the laundry basket, only to find it was gone. "Uh oh..." Okon said, knowing what was in that basket...  
  
"Ara?!?" Soujirou said in surprise as a something suddenly blinded him. Stopping for a while, he grabbed the obstructing fabric from his face. And that soon gave way to... "P-p-p-panties?!?" Soujirou cried out as he felt nosebleed coming on.  
  
However...  
  
"HENTAI!!!"  
  
And so the unsuspecting rurouni was sent into orbit... (Somewhere in the distant future, one Keitaro Urashima shudders. Shrugging it off, he enters the Hinatasou Hot Springs....)  
  
A few minutes later:  
  
A steaming Misao sat beside (though not without protest.) an equally bruised Soujirou, who was amazingly still smiling as the kunoichi bandaged the Tenken. "Well, I see you've met Seta-san, Misao." Okina said with a small smile, though in the back of his head he was laughing his pants off.  
  
"Ah, so you are *urk* the talented *eep* chef that made those delectable *oww* American sausages." Soujirou said, smiling through the pain as Misao bound his chest rather tightly. "There. Done." Misao said ignoring the rurouni's compliment as she finished wrapping his injuries. "Seta-san. May you please go out for a moment? Misao and I have to talk privately." Okina said, the mischevious twinkle in his eye returning. "Oh, okay..." Soujirou replied, inwardly suspecting that the old man was up to something.  
  
As Soujirou went out to the garden, Misao's short fuse finally ran out. "Jiya! What's that guy doing here!" she said glaring at the old man. "Oh come now, Misao. Just because the I *ahem* Seta-san accidentally came into possession with a pair of a ladies unmentionables doesn't mean he's perverted..." Okina said a little too quickly. Misao noticed the little slip-up but decided to ignore it.  
  
"Anyways, as the Okashira of the Oniwabanshu, it is your responsibility to look after the well being of all the people under the employ of the Aoiya, including Soujirou." Okina said with finality. "WHAT?!? I CAN'T-." Misao was about to say, but a thought flickered through her head. "Did you say his name was Soujirou?" Misao questioned, as if tasting the name. Okina caught this. "Yes, Soujirou. Do you know him, Misao?" he asked with his eyebrow quirked. "Yeah, well, that name's familiar and everything, but..." Misao trailed off, wondering why the bumbling rurouni seemed so familiar. "Good, that means you can show him the ropes." Okina interrupted, standing up. "Wha?!" Misao said in surprise. "Alright, you guys get re-acquainted. I've got some pant...err, papers to go through." the old man said and quickly went out the door. Realizing that she had just been set up, Misao let out a frustrated scream.  
  
"JIIYAAAAA!!!"  
  
Just Outside:  
  
Soujirou was tapping his foot as he wondered what was happening in the room. Suddenly, Okina burst out. "All-right,-she's-all-yours-.Gotta'- go.-Bye!" the old spy said, shooting off like a bullet in the other direction. "What was that all about..." Soujirou muttered, his arms crossed.  
  
He didn't have much time to dwell on it, though, as a furious Misao came stomping out through the shoji-door. "Ara, Misao-donno. Do you know why Okina-san took off in such a hurry?" Soujirou said, once again his goofy grin alighting on his visage. Misao shot daggers, knives, stilettos, scalpels, and flying pink elephants at the object of her misfortune, her eyebrow twitching rapidly.  
  
Sensing a teeny bit of aggression, Soujirou racked his brain for a remedy to the situation. "Yumi said that compliments always help calm women down..." Soujirou thought hastily, never once thinking that maybe Misao'll take it the wrong way.  
  
"Uh, you know Misao. You're cute when you're angry." Soujirou said in full confidence. Misao's anger suddenly dissipated, replaced with a look of curiosity. "Did you just hit on me, Soujirou?" she asked, her eyebrow quirked playfully. "Umm, is 'hit on' a good thing?" Soujirou said, getting a tad uncomfortable at the look Misao gave him. "In some cases, yeah." she replied. "Well then, if that's true, then I'll 'hit on' you with all my heart." the Tenken smiled. That's when Misao burst out laughing. Soujirou only tilted his head. "Did I say something funny?" he thought as the ninja rolled on the floor in gales of laughter.  
  
Author's Notes: I get the feeling that this chapter is a bit rushed. I can't believe I did a classical Japanese panty mishap. Looks like that evil author in me is coming out more often than expected. Oh well. Like I've said, Soujirou fics are popping up everywhere, and if you check the Soujirou section of RK you'll see one of them, an RK Love Hina crossover, has popped up in the RK vault as well. It's kind of funny thinking that I got this scene from a Love Hina I recently read. Back to Misao and Soujirou. At least they're on friendlier terms now. That will give me something to work with. I might be late in the next few updates cause of school projects. Damn French teachers from hell...  
  
Finally, time for the review responses.  
  
Lord Sho- Thanks for the advice. I've turned off the "No anonymous reviews" setting. Yep, I've seen the SouXMisao pairings, but a lot more have popped up since I last visited. I'll check out those stories you recommended too.  
  
Chaosu- Heh, I think the pink apron was good too. Doesn't Kenshin also wear the pink apron in one point of the manga? I can't remember. Well, it's good to know that a lot of kabayan think that this pairing will work. Yes, maybe I am delaying the inevitable, but that's only because I didn't know how to get these two on good terms. Thank God for panties. Anyway, now that I've put struck at least one match, I think a fire will be coming along soon.  
  
Eikou- Yeah, Aoshi is a rock, but he's a cool rock. He'll be playing a role soon enough in this story. Misao and Soujirou did see each other at the village, but probably nothing more than a passing glance. Don't worry about not seeing them as a couple. Check out the character settings and see if all those other Misao/Soujirou fics might change your mind.  
  
roxyravette- Nice of you to drop by. Yeah, Sou is cute. I'm glad that you're starting to get into this pairing. Hope you review again.  
  
Alright, that's it for me. Keep pressing the review button. Until next time. You know who wrote this -FPotM 


	6. Acceptance

Disclaimer: I don't own RK.  
  
Chapter five Acceptance  
  
A week later:  
  
After the 'hit on' incident, Misao and Soujirou's relationship wasn't so strained anymore. Actually, they were getting along quite well. Sure they had little tiffs about how Soujirou seemed to go through his chores with the speed of light and take on a perfectionist attitude towards little things, and Misao was a little annoyed at how Soujirou seemed to take on a certain former Hitokiri's habit using the honorific donno, but all in all it was an okay relationship. Platonic, but a genuine relationship.  
  
"Hey, Sou-kun." Misao said, lazing on a tree branch while the Tenken did the laundry. "Yes, Misao-donno?" he replied, not turning his head from the wet clothes, though listening intently. "I was thinking..." Misao continued, jumping down from her perch. "... You never really did get your jacket back, did you?" Misao said, sensing that something had been out of place in Soujirou's attire.  
  
"What do you mean, Misao-donno?" Soujirou said, turning from his laundry. "How did you know I wore a jacket?" he said nervously, his smile drooping a bit. Though his expression was his smiling, clueless rurouni self, inside his mind was racing furiously. 'How did she know I used to have a jacket. Oh no. Could she be remembering that time at the village?' he thought.  
  
"Remember. Jiya was telling me about how you got the job here cuz' you forgot your jacket. I was wondering why you looked sort of... different." she replied, looking over the rurouni. "Oh." Soujirou said, letting out a small sigh of relief. "You don't need to concern yourself about that, Misao-donno." he finished, turning back to his laundry. Misao caught his eyes flickering, as though keeping a secret, but she decided to ignore it. "Well, I was just thinking. We could go out and get you a new one." Misao said, her face hovering over the rurouni's head. "You needn't do that for me, Misao-donno." Soujirou said, blinking at the close proximity Misao was from his own face.  
  
'My she smells nice...' Soujirou thought, but realized what he was musing about. 'Hey! Stop that. Besides, she can't ever fall for you. She's in love with Aoshi, remember.' a voice in Soujirou's head scolded. 'Well, yeah, but.' Soujirou mentally said, trying to reason with the small voice in his head. "But nothing. You can't stain her with your tainted hands. She deserves better.' the voice berated. 'Ok.' Soujirou said dejectedly.  
  
Suddenly, Soujirou felt a rapping on his forehead. "Hello. Earth to Soujirou. Anybody in there?" Misao said into the poor Tenken's ear while knocking his head. "Ara?!" Soujirou said, tumbling back. Misao sighed. "Geez, sometimes you are a Baka Sou-kun. You've been zoning out a lot these days." Misao said, wagging a finger at Soujirou. "Heh, I can't help it, Misao-donno. It's just the way I am, I think." Soujirou said laughing, his smile growing a little wider.  
  
Misao couldn't help but let out a small chuckle herself. Whenever she was with Soujirou, she felt at ease. Sure, she could talk to the others at the Aoiya about anything, but Soujirou was the only one she actually wanted to share things with. He didn't tell her to act like a lady, like Okon and Omasu, or treat her like a little kid as Okina did. And it was a nice change from her stoic Aoshi.  
  
"Well, whatever, Sou-kun. All I'm saying is that that you'd look better with a coat. Something in blue, maybe." she said, stepping back and looking over the Tenken from head to toe. "I don't know Misao..." Soujirou began to say. "Come on, Sou. I want to get you a new coat. A welcome present, so to speak." Misao interrupted, not wanting to hear anything against it. "Well..." Soujirou began. "I won't take no for an answer." Misao winked. "Oh, alright." Soujirou conceded throwing his hands up in defeat. "Great, come on!" Misao said, taking the Tenken's hand. "B-but the laundry." Soujirou started to stutter a little surprised that the female ninja grabbed his hand so suddenly. "Oh, someone'll take care of that. Let's go!" she brushed off the comment, literaly dragging Soujirou away.  
  
"If you insist." Soujirou said, letting himself be dragged away by the lively young woman, thinking that he might as well enjoy the ride.  
  
The Market:  
  
Soujirou weaved through the crowds, a little unnerved by the number of people. Misao, however, seemed to thrive in the frenetic, bustling atmosphere of Kyoto. All around, stores and stalls displayed their wares, barking, yelling, and doing anything to get the attention of passersby.  
  
"Here we are." Misao stopped abruptly in front of a quaint little tailor's shop. "Oh, hello, Misao." a kindly old man said as he saw the couple go into the store. "Hey, Mr. Nakane" Misao said greeting the man with a wave. "My dear Misao, always wearing those yakutas. When are you gonna' wise up and buy yourself a nice kimono. You'll be the talk of the town." Nakane said playfully. "You know that I think those things are too confining, Nakane-san. Besides, I think that Okon and Omasu would have a heart attack." Misao replied good-naturedly. "And I'm not here for me. I've brought Soujirou along with me." she continued, pointing to the rurouni.  
  
"Oh. I see." Mr. Nakane said, a mischevious twinkle in his eye. "Well, come along then, Soujirou. We'll see what we have for you." he said motioning for the Tenken to go with him to the back. Once there, the tailor took out a tape measure and started to take notes on Soujirou's shoulders. "So, you practice kenjutsu I presume." Mr. Nakane said nonchalantly. "How did you know that?" Soujirou said in curiosity. "Little hints. Like you posture. It's one of the straightest I've seen. And the way this shirt is creased. The most stretched out parts follow the movements of a swordsman." Mr. Nakane explained. "I see." Soujirou said in slight awe, impressed by the wisdom of the old tailor.  
  
"Besides..." the tailor continued. "... Misao wouldn't have chosen any other kind of man." he chuckled, putting away the measure and looking over jackets on a rack. "I beg your pardon." Soujirou said in confusion. "I'm not surprised that Misao takes a liking to you. Good that she finally got over her crush with Aoshi." Mr. Nakane said, handing Soujirou a jacket to try on. "You mean you think... Ara, we're not together or anything, it's just that she wanted to get me a new coat and, uh, and" Soujirou sputtered. "Hmm, if you say so." the tailor replied, not entirely convinced.  
  
"There. Perfect. Just the right color to match your eyes." Mr. Nakane said, sizing up his handiwork. "Wow. It feels great." Soujirou said, admiring the coat. He gave the blue fabric a few stretches, seeing that it was soft yet warm to the touch, delicate and durable at the same time. "I'm not the tailor of the Oniwabanshu for nothing, you know." the tailor laughed, patting the rurouni on the back and leading him back to the front of the store. "Sou-kun, you look great!" Misao exclaimed, seeing as how the blue jacket seemed to complete the young man. "Thanks." Soujirou smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.  
  
As they paid and were starting to go out the door, Mr. Nakane pulled Soujirou back. "Listen. If you ever decide to go for it, remember that Misao's not an ordinary girl. If you watch and listen, I know that you can figure her out eventually." the old tailor said, a twinkle in his wise eyes. Soujirou only smiled and nodded. "I'll try to remember that, Nakane- san" Soujirou said, before feeling a tug on his new coat's sleeve. "Come on, Sou-kun! I still need to get some groceries for the Aoiya!" Misao said impatiently.  
  
"Coming..." Soujirou said, letting himself be dragged away by Misao. "Heh, kids..." Mr. Nakane said as he smiled, shaking his head as he went back into his store...  
  
Later at the Aoiya:  
  
"What a time for them to go out on leave..." Misao grumbled to herself as she was once again washing dishes. It looked as if Okon and Omasu were out visiting relatives, Shiro and Kuro were out in the country, and Okina was conveniently at the doctor's for something about food poisoning. "They leave us all alone to run a hotel. Can't they see we have our own lives to live, Sou-kun?" she said, turning towards the young man, who was doing the laundry. "Aw, cheer up, Misao-donno. At least it's a holiday so we don't have to worry about that many people." Soujirou said optimistically.  
  
"I guess you're right, Sou-kun. Thank God you don't have anything to do on a Saturday night or I'd be bored stiff by my lonesome." Misao sighed. "Yes, well... Hey! It's not like I know anybody in town or anything of that sort." Soujirou said, catching on to the female ninja's underlying jibe. "Well well, it looks like our happy camper just got a little ticked off." Misao said with a small laugh. "Ha ha, very funny." Soujirou said, though he couldn't help but smile himself.  
  
"Alright. I'm done with this batch. You hold the fort while I hang these to dry." Soujirou said, taking up the basket of dripping clothes. "Oh, ok Sou." Misao said, not really listening as she was trying to rub out an exceptionally stubborn piece of veal from her plates.  
  
As soon as Soujirou went out to the back, the doors of the Aoiya once again swung open, but not for the better.  
  
A couple of minutes later:  
  
"There, all done." Soujirou said as he admired line after line of clean laundry. But before Soujirou could bask in the glory of a job well done, a crash from inside the Aoiya snapped him from his reverie.  
  
"Misao..." he said before using his Shukuchi.  
  
Inside:  
  
The young woman aforementioned in a position to warrant the Tenken's concern. Avoiding another chair that was hurled at her, she peeked from behind an overturned table she used for cover. "Damn..." she thought as another article of furniture spiraled her way. "This is what you get for messing with our gang!" a large, burly man shouted.  
  
It looks like the two bit thieves that tried to rob the Aoiya were actually very well connected, and about a dozen or so of their buddies, and one big hulking ogre. "Ha, no man can stop the great Buntaro!" the behemoth laughed. "Yeah, show her whose boss!" "Nobody messes with our gang!" his flunkies rooted. This only served to inflate the giant's ego and he puffed out his chest. "Ha! That's right. Now not only are we gonna' trash this place, but we're gonna' have some fun with you too, darlin'." Buntaro boomed.  
  
That set Misao off.  
  
"Over my dead body!!!" the petite firebrand screamed, jumping over the table and hurling her knives. ""Kansatsu Tobikunai!"  
  
In her blind rage, Misao threw wild, her aim flawed. A couple of the kunai hit the lackeys and knocking one out, but not enough to actually stop the gang. "Get her boys!" the ogre cried. As one, albeit clumsy, body, the goons rushed the female ninja. "Too slow!" Misao yelled, sidestepping then grabbing one of the flunkies heads, cracked his skull against one other goon, and leapfrogged over the heap onto another man, wrapping her legs around the man's torso. Then with supreme effort, she threw the man's body like a catapult, throwing him to the pile. "Ha!" she laughed.  
  
Suddenly, she felt a pair of tree-like arms grab her from behind, like the time right before she met Himura. She tried to slip out, but unlike the arms of the man in the woods, these weren't made out of flabby fat but were muscle-bound and strong. "I have to admit, yer' more trouble than ya' seem, missy." Buntaro said. "... but there ain't a woman alive that'll ever punk me!" he said, taking a fistful of Misao's raven hair and threw her towards the back door.  
  
Misao closed her eyes and prayed that the impact would be mercifully quick. Suddenly, she felt herself being scooped up in strong arms, wrapped gently yet protectively over her small frame. "Wow. This feels nice..." Misao thought, unconsciously snuggling a bit closer into her savior's warm chest. "Ah, Misao-donno. You seem to be in a bit of trouble." a familiar and cheery voice said. Misao opened her eyes to see her smiling rurouni, beautifully illuminated by the afternoon sun that came from the open door he came through.  
  
"S-sou-kun?" she said meekly, amazed at how different he looked up close. The Tenken only nodded and gently placed her back on her feet. "Don't worry, Misao-donno. I'll take care of it." Soujirou said, his smile still present, but his eyes seemed to narrow as his gaze turned from the female ninja and towards her assailants.  
  
Misao tried to call Soujirou back, wanting to tell him that he had no chance against them, that he wasn't trained to go against such men, that she was worried for his safety. But her voice was stuck in her throat, the sense of irrational security that Soujirou had seemed to weave around her still present. "Yes..." she thought, a small smile taking form on her lips. "...you'll take care of it."  
  
Soujirou walked with exercised calm towards the man, who was easily more than two feet taller than him. Buntaro glared at the young upstart that was in front of him. The gall of such a whelp to pit himself against Buntaro the Great!  
  
And he was more surprised when the rurouni smiled at him. "Excuse me, sir. It would be in the best interest of both of our parties that you should walk out that door, point yourself towards the nearest police station, and commit yourself so that you may be rehabilitated into a useful member of society." Soujirou suggested, his expression as if he was talking to any other customer that came through the Aoiya's doors. Of course, it was the same voice he had used before ending the lives of many a greater man than the one in front of him.  
  
"Why you little brat!" the ogre said, grabbing the Tenken's collar. "Ara. It would be best if you let go of my shirt, Buntaro-san. Your grip might stretch the fabric." Soujirou said, his silly grin apparent. The giant only grunted as he hefted Soujirou over his head and mad ready to throw him just like he did the girl. He swung his arm, but to his surprise, the rurouni was no longer there.  
  
"My my. Not much damage, but I'll have to wash it a dozen times to get the stink out." Soujirou said, appearing beside Buntaro. "What the?!?" the brute sputtered. Backing away a few steps, he turned to three of his goons that weren't knocked out. "Well, what are you waiting for?" he yelled, jabbing a finger at Soujirou. The goons nodded slowly and tried to rush the Tenken.  
  
This time however, Misao didn't blink and saw her untrained Baka Sou- kun take out three men. Or didn't see her Baka Sou-kun take out three men. In reality, it would be too confusing to say if she really did see or did not see the Tenken, but all she knows is that Soujirou took out a group of flunkies in literally under half a second. "What kind of person is he?" Misao thought, watching as an eerie silence settled in the Aoiya.  
  
"T-tenken no Soujirou!!!" came a voice from behind the three of them. A trembling man said, pointing a dramatic finger at Soujirou, whose smile dropped to a thin line. "There's only one man that can be so fast. I should know. I was one of the men under his command." the man said. He had been one of the first ones who had been knocked out so he didn't see Soujirou come in. "So you're the right-hand man of Shishio, eh boy?" Buntaro said, turning towards the Tenken. "In that case, if I defeat you, then I truly will be the greatest man in Kyoto!" he bellowed.  
  
The leader suddenly reached into his haori and pulled out a short sword, easily concealed by the folds of his clothes. "Prepare to die, boy!" he screamed. The glint of steel shook Soujirou to his very core. No longer was he in the Aoiya, but he was back in the burning Purgatory. He was back in the secret temple. He was back to a rainy backyard, with tears streaming down his face and a bloody wakazashi in his hand.  
  
It all happened so fast. Misao couldn't believe at the speed at which Soujirou moved. But as soon as he stopped, Misao wished that she didn't see the sight before her. Soujirou was no longer smiling, and the short-sword was no longer in the Buntaro's hands. Soujirou looked at the bloody sword in his hand, and to the man in front of him. The giant's limbs were probably broken, and had angry lacerations running down all over his body. Not only that, but the force of Soujirou's blow had made the man go through the Aoiya's walls. But the brute still drew breath, which was the only thing that he seemed to be doing.  
  
Soujirou's eyes were still steely as he began to speak. "You there. Get up." he said coldly, not turning to see if the goon got up or not. "Go to the police station. Tell them what's happened here." He said. The flunky gulped audibly, scrambled to his legs and ran screaming out of the Aoiya's halls.  
  
Again the silence settled upon the hostel. "Tenken no Soujirou..." Misao whispered as she stood up from her place, her eyes gazing curiously at the man in front of her. As if on cue, Soujirou's smile returned. Looking down to his hand, a look of disgust crossed his face, only to disappear just as quickly. "Filthy." he muttered through clenched teeth, throwing the wakazashi away.  
  
"Sou-kun. Is it true." Misao said, watching the short sword clatter noisily to the floor. Soujirou looked at her with a look of sadness, but only stooped down to gather her scattered kunai. "Yes..." he said, acknowledging Misao's comment. "...Though this is not the way I intended for you to find out." he finished, standing back up. "Soujirou! You could have told me! You know that I wouldn't have held it against you!" Misao argued as she tried to reassure her distraught Tenken. "Would you have, Misao-donno? Would you have, knowing who I am?" Soujirou said with pained eyes. There was a long pause as Misao considered the question.  
  
"I thought so..." Soujirou said. Pulling out his smile, he turned and faced Misao. "Here, Misao-donno." Soujirou began, taking the young woman's hands in his own tainted ones and placing her kunai back. Misao only stood still as Soujirou clasped her hands around the familiar set of knives. Tears threatened to fall as Soujirou let go of her, the rurouni turning towards the door. "I hope you live a good life, Misao-donno. I know that there is no place for a Tenken in your future." he said, walking towards the double doors.  
  
Internally, Misao watched as the rurouni, her rurouni, started towards the door. Inside she wondered was he right. Was it true that they only met by accident? That she couldn't hold a place in her heart for a lonely soul such as his? That he deserved this. He deserved his pain. "But... didn't you learn to care about him?" a tiny voice in her head whispered. "If it's true that you can't care for a murderer, how come it pains you so much to see him go?" the voice said, growing stronger. "Isn't he..."  
  
"My Baka Sou-kun." Misao whispered, finishing the voice's sentence. Hearing his name, Soujirou paused, turning his head towards the female ninja.  
  
"Ah?" he mouthed.  
  
Misao raised her head, to reveal a tear-streaked face. But behind her tears was a radiant and defiant smile. "You heard me. You're my Baka Sou- kun." Soujirou stood in place as the Misao slowly took steps towards him. "YOU IDIOT!!!" she yelled as she promptly clocked the rurouni's head.  
  
Before Soujirou could utter a single 'Ara' he felt himself in a warm embrace. "You are such an idiot." Misao said, still smiling and crying softly. 'How strange...' Soujirou thought, as if in a dream. '...She's a mystery to me.' he thought, looking down upon the girl crying on his shoulder. "But then again, I wouldn't mind it if this were the way she accepts me as..." he mused as he returned the embrace, encompassing his arms around the petite girl.  
  
Instantly, Misao felt the same sense of security she accepted, no, *claimed* unconsciously as her own. "My Baka Sou-kun..." she said softly, her tears dried, her smile more gentle and serene, as she let herself sink into sleep after such an exhausting day, knowing that nothing bad can happen to her when she was in her Soujirou's embrace...  
  
Author's Notes: Extra long chapter to make up for the days I didn't post. And since this *is* an extra chapter, maybe you'll be kind enough to give me a few extra reviews. (I'm trying to aim for at least 25.) Anyways, thanks to all my reviewers. Sorry I can't personally thank each of you, but I still have a lot of projects to do. I hope that this wasn't too waffy. As always, please comment on anything that you wish.  
  
You know who wrote this- -FPotM 


	7. Upstream

Chapter 6 Upstream  
  
Soujirou is self-doubting. Misao is stubborn. So even if they do harbor the spark of love, that doesn't mean that they will willingly fan the flame.  
  
"BAKA SOU-KUN!!!" "GOMEN?!?" "YOU SOAKED ME AGAIN! YOU'RE DOING IT ON PURPOSE, AREN'T YOU?!" "ARA?!" "STOP TALKING LIKE THAT, YOU WUSSY!!!"  
  
Okina was in his room, enjoying a hot cup of tea when the dawn chorus started up. "Ah, young love..." he mumbled, wishing that they could be a little quieter  
  
Downstairs:  
  
Again Soujirou unabashedly apologized to the raging firebrand. Again Misao was drenched from head to toe, ranting at her rurouni's absent- mindedness and mannerisms.  
  
"Geez, Sou. Can you at least watch where you're going next time? I mean, once is an accident, twice is bad luck, but three times' definitely not a charm." Misao berated as she accepted a towel from the Tenken. "Ah, so sorry, Misao-donno, but somehow you just seem to slip through. Perhaps it's your ninja training or you natural cat-like grace that keeps me from sensing you." Soujirou replied, falling back to his 'butter-em-up-and-you- can-slip-through-anything" plan.  
  
Misao took Soujirou's praise in stride, catching the little ploy. "Oh..." she began, starting to play a little game. "...that might be true, Sou-kun, but lil' ol' me can't possibly match your skill." she said innocently, but we all know that innocent girls are the hottest ones in the bunch. And Soujirou was definitely feeling the heat. "Err..." he stuttered, feeling his face growing hot. 'What is it about this girl that gets me worked up so?' Soujirou thought, wondering why his emotions seemed to pop up the most whenever this girl was around.  
  
All of Soujirou's self analysis aside, Misao could definitely see her plan working. "Besides, with all your moves and speed, there's no way I could never imagine me beating you in anything." she said, quirking her eyebrow teasingly. 'Oh, I wouldn't say you couldn't beat me at *everything*.' that small voice in Soujirou's head said. However, the all- analyzing Soujirou had seen through Misao's little ploy, and decided to make it backfire on her.  
  
"Oh, I wouldn't say you couldn't beat me at *everything*." he began, stressing the 'everything'.  
  
This caught Misao off-guard, and the little voice in Soujirou's head began to cheer.  
  
"Huh?" Misao said, confused. 'What are you up to, my little Baka Sou- kun?' Misao's own little voice asked. "You could beat me at a lot of stuff, if you knew how..." Soujirou said, raising his own eyebrow mischievously. The little voice in Soujirou's head was having a party. Misao could feel a blush developing as the heat suddenly turned on her. "W-what do you mean, Sou-kun?" she stammered, her voice anxious, but underlying a hint of wanting also.  
  
"What I'm trying to say is..." Soujirou said, nearing Misao. "...that with the proper *training*..." Soujirou continued, his face nearing the young ninja's own.  
  
"...You..." Misao felt her back against the wall.  
  
"...can..." she felt his warm breath, and her mind scrambled as to why he smelled so nice, as to why this felt so right.  
  
"...learn..." Misao closed her eyes unconsciously, her lips pursing as her body was taking over for an inevitable kiss, and the s.s.v. was counting down the seconds to contact.  
  
"How to be a Tenken too!" Soujirou said, straightening up, his smile wide and chibi-like. The small voice in Soujirou's head fainted, wondering why he was stuck with this idiot.  
  
"Wha?" Misao said, her eyes opening quickly in confusion. 'So close...' Misao's own little voice said, sharing s.s.v.'s (Soujirou's small voice.) disappointment at the rurouni's mixed signal.  
  
"You know. 'Shukuchi'." Soujirou said, his goofy smile still on his oh-so-perfect lips, (to Misao's subconscious.) oblivious once again to the chance he missed.  
  
"Shukuchi?" Misao repeated, the mood passing and her curiosity piqued. "Yeah. You showed potential when you were chasing me the second time I soaked you, remember." Soujirou smiled. "Oh, right. Don't remind me." Misao sighed. "Okon and Omasu are still teasing me for that." she added, leveling her eyes at the slightly taller Tenken. Sensing another bomb, Soujirou decided to change the subject. "Yeah. You could probably ace it, no sweat, Misao-donno." he said, hoping that this would divert the young woman's attention.  
  
"Well, I don't know..." Misao said, remembering her past lessons in sword fighting. "... I've never been much of a katana-person." she continued, remembering all the lumps Hanyaa ended up with whenever he tried to teach Misao anything other than kenpo.  
  
"Alright, if you say so Misao. I would understand that you would be a little afraid of trying something new after kunai and ninjitsu for such a long time." Soujirou said shrugging, and he dismissed the thought. To him, whatever was rejected was rejected, and what was in the past in the was in the past. He never expected anyone to react so strongly to his friendly criticism. However, as he turned to do leave the porch, he heard the bomb explode.  
  
"Scared?!? I'll show you who's scared, Tenken-boy! Come on!" Misao detonated, grabbing the rurouni by his wrist and wrenching him off, Soujirou "ARA?!?"-ing all the way...  
  
The Riverside:  
  
Soujirou was again swirly-eyed as they abruptly stopped. "Here we are!" Misao said happily. "Huh?" Soujirou said dizzily. As his eyes cleared up, he saw that they were at some sort of little wood, a babbling little river in front of them. It sort of reminded him of the place where he killed Senkaku, but much more cheerful and airy.  
  
"This place is nice." he thought out loud turning to face Misao, listening to the birds twittering and the river water running steadily. "Yeah. This is my special spot." Misao said calmly. "I found it when I learned that Hanyaa and the others were dead..." thinking about the sad history that led her to this peaceful glen.  
  
"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that, Misao-donno." Soujirou said, feeling as if he opened a wound. "Don't be." Misao said, raising her head to the sky. "The guys dying was a hard blow to take, but I know they did what they thought was right. Besides..." she added thoughtfully, turning her smiling face to Soujirou. "Without them, I might never have found this place, right?"  
  
Again, Misao had confused and amazed the Tenken. 'Ah. Always optimistic, aren't we, my Misao-donno?' 'Hey! Don't start that again with me, mister.' 'ARA!!!' 'Even in your own mind you're a wuss.' 'Sorry, but I can't help it.' Soujirou thought sadly in his inner monologue. Again he submissively agreed to everything the tiny voice said.  
  
'Baka Sou-kun is zoning out again.' Misao thought amusedly, turning her attention from the contemplating Tenken and into the river. Tiny fishes were swimming upstream, fighting the current with their small bodies.  
  
"I wonder why they do that..." she heard a voice from behind her. Soujirou came out of reverie and sat down with Misao, watching the little fish. "What do you mean?" Misao said, turning towards her friend, smiling lightly at Soujirou's expression of curiosity. "Swim upstream." Soujirou replied, facing his friend innocently, his eyes telling Misao that he truly wanted to know.  
  
Misao looked at Soujirou again with wonder. 'How can this man be the Tenken that killed mercilessly?' she asked herself. He looked so innocent there, his eyes wide and alight, swirling his finger in the water, trying to see if the fish would follow his hand. "I guess they want to see what's at the other end of the river." Misao said.  
  
As they sat there, on the bank of the river, letting Misao's words hang in the air, they felt at peace with the world. Both of them loved the feeling, like children again, the world wide and bright, the future always shining over the horizon...  
  
Author's note: Sorry if I have slowed down a bit in updates. My personal karma seems to be biting me in the arse more often these days. This chapter isn't really that much story-wise, but it's sweet. Not waffy, not sugar-coated, but just, you know... sweet. And about Misao learning to do the Shukuchi, I have no idea where I'm going with that. Don't worry, the next few chapters will have more action and romance in them, but right now, let's take a relaxing break from the turbulence of our lives and watch the fish swim upstream... -FPotM 


	8. I'm back

Chapter 7  
  
The Aoiya  
  
"Hey, Baka-Sou-kun! Help me out with these buckets!" A familiar voice rang through the Aoiya. "Coming, Misao-donno." another replied.  
  
Inside the kitchen, Okon and Omasu were busy gossiping once more. "Those two sure have been hanging around each other a lot." Okon smirked, her head piecing together endless scenarios, each more ludicrous than the next. "Well you won't believe what I saw the other day." Omasu said, her eyes glinting of some scandalous behavior. "Oh really? What would merit such attention of your?" Okon said sarcastically, knowing that it would probably be about Misao and Soujirou again. Of what intensity, she was about to find out. "Misao took him into the woods..." Omasu said, a light mischief in her voice. "Oh my." Okon replied, her hand over her mouth.  
  
"Well, that was certainly very forward of our little Misao." Omasu said. "You don't suppose they..." Okon whispered, still scandalized that Misao would do such a thing. "No, no, of course not. Nothing of the sort." Omasu said, waving her hands in defense. "How can you be so sure?" Okon countered. "Well, if it was just Mi-chan and some other male, there might be a slim chance of it happening, but look at them together." Omasu tilted her head at the pair. Sure enough, Misao and Soujirou were having an old fashioned water fight, and the buckets flowed freely. "ARGH! BAKA-SOU, THAT WAS COLD!!!" "ARA?! IT DID'T SEEM SO COLD WHEN YOU POURED IT ON ME, MISAO- DONNO!"  
  
Okon saw what Omasu meant by them together. Misao was truly a free spirit, and outdated ideas would never really hold much sway for her, but Soujirou was a different story. He acted as a foil for Misao, using checks and balances to make sure that whatever happens it would be to the best advantage of Misao. In truth though, Soujirou was letting himself get beaten in the long run by the little lady, even though he was the more controlled in emotions of the two. Try as he might, he could never fight off the subconscious advances of the kunoichi, who was feeling more and more confused by the growing affection she held for 'her' baka-Sou-kun.  
  
"I see. No matter what happens, Soujirou would never lead Misao to anything that might hurt her." Okon nodded in understanding. "Too true..." Omasu sighed, smiling as she watched the two bicker as to why they started this water fight in the first place. "I just wonder how Aoshi's going to take it." Okon said, attending to her cooking.  
  
Courtyard:  
  
"Now you're gonna' get it, Soujirou! Kansatsu Tobibucket!" Misao yelled, throwing the last bucket of water at the hapless rurouni. "Ara! You got me Misao-donno. I am vanquished." Soujirou said dramatically, holding his hand over his heart, making as if he would faint. "But I'm not going to hell alone. I will just have to take you with me!" Soujirou said, suddenly pulling out from his fake collapse and grabbing Misao firmly by the waist. "AAHH! Sou-kun, what are you doiiiing!!!" Misao screamed as she was pulled down by her Baka, right into the koi pond! The overgrown goldfish never knew what hit them. "Baka-Sou, you jerk!" Misao laughed, punching Soujirou playfully in the arm. "Like you said, Misao-donno, it's not as if we could get any wetter." Soujirou said, standing up and extending a hand to Misao. Misao smiled softly, taking her friends' grasp.  
  
Too bad the pond floor was so slippery. Misao caught her foot on one of the fish and tripped, bringing Soujirou down a second time. Soujirou wrapped his arm around Misao's small frame, just in time before she hit the water. "Nice catch..." Misao said. Soujirou's face was so close to hers, so close she could feel his warm breath on her chilled skin. And so to was it for Soujirou. His arm around Misao's waist, their bodies pressed together, her soft lips only a few inches away. The water made his skin prickle, and now his super-sensitive body felt every shift, every breath, every small shiver Misao's body gave off. They both thought of how easy it would have been just to close their eyes and let their feelings take course.  
  
But since this fic is luck based, and it seems these two have had so much of the good kind, it's time to spoil their fun.  
  
"Ohohohoho. My pretty little Misao in the arms of one other than Aoshi? I knew you would bring more excitement into this house, Seta-san, but I never bargained for this." Old Nenji laughed as he came to the garden. "J-Jiya?!" Misao stammered. "O-Okina-san" said en equally embarrassed Soujirou. Quickly the two teens disentangled and stepped out of the water. "You know I won't interfere with you two, but I would hate for you two to catch a cold. This is a hostel after all. Plenty of other less drafty places." Okina teased. "Gramps, we were just-" Misao began, but Okina just cut her off. "Nope, you won't spoil my fun. Besides, what's the opinion of one old man anyway. Hyehyehyehye!" the elder ninja laughed. His face sobered slightly though as he bought the situation back into hand. "Anyways, I'm just a delivery boy today. Seems as if Kaoru and her friends sent you another letter, Misao." Okina said, handing a folded paper to the wet girl. "Oh, ok, Jiya. Thanks." Misao said, accepting the letter. It wasn't that big a deal for her to receive letters from her friends in Tokyo. However the news inside was a little more than she bargained for.  
  
"Kenshin and Kaoru are heading over here for their honeymoon!"  
  
Authors notes: Oh my. I cannot apologize enough for taking so long in posting. Also for the short length of this chapter. I should be chained to a rock and have a giant vulture peck out my liver. Greetings, my friends. I just took a break from writing this little story to update my NGE stories. It's not that they have more priority than this. It's just that I've been so caught up with this story that I had to update my others because of lack of updating. I hope this doesn't become a habit. Anyway, today's story is just about how much closer and closer Sou and Mi-chan are getting. Also, Kenshin and Kaoru are already married. They just took a month off before their honeymoon, so if anybody was wondering why Misao wasn't at the wedding, she was, only that it was before Soujirou came along so there wouldn't be much mention. So what will the master reformed hitokiri say to the student? Will Kaoru and Kenshin's marriage finally push Misao and Soujirou closer. Will Kenji be conceived in this fic?!? Find out next time, on Four Leafed Clovers...  
  
-FPotM 


	9. Chapter eight?

Chapter 8  
  
The courtyard:  
  
"Kenshin and Kaoru are heading over here for their honeymoon!"  
  
Misao's braid nearly stood on end as she read the small piece of paper. ---------------------  
  
Dear Misao  
  
Hello! How is our favorite little weasel? Just kidding! Kenshin and I are finally on our honeymoon! Yahiko and Yutaro are looking after the dojo for us while we're away. I hope that we won't go home to a burning ruin! We're writing from Megumi's clinic in Aizu. Her medical practice is booming and patients from all around the country are seeking her professional advice. Sanosuke is stirring all sorts of trouble. He's in the Philippines right now and seems to be in a bit of trouble with the Spanish colonists there. All in all the gang is doing fine. What we really want to tell you is that we're stopping by Kyoto in a week! Isn't that great? Well, we'll be seeing you!  
  
Yours truly The Himuras  
  
P.S. Sano says to send money. He needs to make bail again.  
  
---------------------  
  
"Jiya, this letter's been mailed six days ago! They're coming over tomorrow!" Miso yelled as she scanned the envelope. "Hmm, I guess when it said urgent I should have given it to you sooner. Oh well." Okina shrugged and walked of whistling.  
  
"Why I outta' ..." Misao started. Good thing Soujirou was there to hold her back. "Ara! Misao-donno, err, you can't waste your time on Okina- san now! Ha ha, that's right. You have guests coming! We have to clean up." Soujirou said, letting out a sigh of relief as the firebrand stopped struggling against him. Good thing being an old assassin taught one to think on his feet.  
  
"You're right, Sou-kun. Hurry up and pick up those buckets. You're gonna' clean the whole Aoiya from top to bottom. I don't wanna see a speck of dust anywhere. After that, trim the hedges and do the laundry. We can't have our knickers flying in the wind when they get here. Hop to it!" Misao replied with a smile, pushing a mop and a rag into the Tenken's hands. "You start here. I'll go to the market to buy more food." The cheery onmitsu said. "Oh, and wash the dishes too. I want to start using them as soon as I get back! Good thing you suggested it, Sou-kun, or we might not have time to do all of it." Misao called out as she disappeared into the hostel, leaving the rurouni with a mountain of chores.  
  
"Then again, that might have been a stupid suggestion..." Soujirou smiled to himself, though it seemed a bit strained as he started on his duties.  
  
The next day: The lobby of the Aoiya  
  
"Kaoru-chan!"  
  
"Misao-chan!"  
  
The two young women squealed in delight and hugged each other savagely. "Kaoru! You look great! I see that Kenshin's been treating you well!" "Oh, as much as to be expected. But you look fantastic, Misao! Did you lose weight?" And so the typical banter of two women began.  
  
"Well, if I did, that's just from chasing Soujirou all around the city." "Soujirou? You mean to tell me you have a boyfriend now, Misao?" "No, no! Just the new help that Jiya hired. Sometimes he can be a handful."  
  
"Ororo? As much as you two are enjoying your reunion, can sessha trouble you for a little help?" A shaky voice said from the background. Out of a pile of luggage with two scrawny legs, another certain rurouni's head poked out. "Hello, Misao-donno." Kenshin said, the bags trembling as if beginning to fall. "Oh, hello Kenshin. It's good to see you again. Now, Kaoru, you just have to see what I did with the kitchen." "Oh you've got the new curtains?"  
  
"Sessha feels so dejected..." Kenshin said, his eyes all big and teary as the two women disappeared into the kitchen. A gust of wind came through the open door, and we all know that a gust of wind can knock Kenshin down. "ORO?!?!" Kenshin said as the top suitcase of the luggage pyramid started to wobble. Think of Tom when he's balancing a stack of plates that Jerry's been throwing around. "This won't end well, de gozaru..." Kenshin said as he braced himself for the falling bags. The crash never came, though.  
  
"ORO!"  
  
"ARA?!"  
  
Two bodies flashed through the scene of the falling luggage. Before any bags could touch the floor, two neat piles of suitcases appeared on either side of the room. "Whew. Almost didn't make it there. Kaoru-donno would have a fit if any of her clothes went missing." Kenshin said, sighing in relief that none of the bags opened or exploded into a flurry of clothes. Suddenly, Kenshin's expression turned serious. "And though sessha am grateful of your help, sessha would like an explanation of why you are here, Tenken no Soujirou..."  
  
"Ah, it seems as if you caught me, Himura-san." Soujirou chuckled.  
  
Later, Misao and Kaoru come out of the kitchen:  
  
"So Soujirou used to be former Juppon Gatana? Misao, are you sure that he's a safe person to be around. Kenshin barely won against him, and he still had to use his ougi." Kaoru said, a worried look on her face as she heard the details of Misao's new employee. "Who, Sou-kun? He wouldn't hurt a fly. Well, not intentionally." Misao replied, recalling how close Soujirou had killed the bandits. "Still, I'd better tell Kenshin. I wouldn't want a fight breaking out." Kaoru said.  
  
"An attack like that shall never reap any benefits, Soujirou."  
  
"Ah, Himura-san. It would seem as if your technique is getting rusty. Blood shall always stay there."  
  
Both women looked at each other with a panicked expression. They rushed out into the courtyard. "Kenshin, no!" "Soujirou, don't you dare!" Misao and Kaoru began.  
  
"I'm telling you, Himura-san, this stain just won't budge." Soujirou said, thumbing a red spot on one of the clothes he was scrubbing. "No, no. You have to go against the grain, in little circles..." Kenshin said, demonstrating on the outfit he was washing. "Oh, I see..."  
  
Misao and Kaoru stared at the two for a while, both of the men sitting on the ground with a tub of soap and water in front of them, sleeves rolled up. And they could only laugh. "Bwaha... K-kenshin and Souji?!?" "L-laundry and stain? Haha!"  
  
"Well what do you think is with those two, Himura-san?" Soujirou said, his eyebrow raised. "Women, Soujirou. Just women..." Kenshin said, equally confused.  
  
Notes:  
  
Umm, yeah...  
  
-FPotM 


	10. Still Going On?

Chapter 9

Still Going On?

"So you've been helping out the Aoiya for how long now, Soujirou?" Kaoru said as the younger rurouni helped the newlyweds bring their luggage to the suite. "Ara. Probably one, no, one and a half months." Soujirou replied, as he struggled with the bags and the flight of stairs he had to fight against. "So you have given up wandering? Have you found your answers yet, Soujirou?" Kenshin said as he walked behind Kaoru. "Ah, no. I don't think that I've stopped being a rurouni. I just needed a break, that's all." Soujirou said as they finally reached the second floor.

"Hmm. That's what Kenshin said at first when he lived at the dojo too, but look how we turned out..." Kaoru began mischievously. Soujirou gulped nervously. "... are you sure that you aren't just staying here for a certain someone?" Kaoru giggled. "I.. uh... don't know... what I mean is..." Soujirou began to sputter. "Leave the boy alone, Kaoru." Kenshin said finally. But he did look at Soujirou funny. Almost as if saying 'keep telling yourself that, buddy'.

"No. Misao-donno, she is just... a friend." Soujirou said. But he didn't even convince anyone. Hell, it sounded weak even to himself. "Now whoever said anything about Misao?" Kaoru's eyes glinted roguishly. "Eep." Soujirou mentally kicked himself.

"Oh, are you guy's talking about me behind my back?"

"Ara?! Misao-donno!" Soujirou exclaimed. He almost dropped the bags in his surprise. "Nothing at all, Misao-chan. Just getting to know Soujirou here a little better." Kaoru replied innocently. Kenshin just rolled his eyes. Misao suspected something going on but decided to ignore it. "Okay. I just came by to give you guys the keys. Soujirou seemed to have forgotten them." Misao said, handing the couple the keys to their room. "Oh, that's right. Sorry about that." Soujirou bowed slightly. If he could have scratched the back of his head, he would have. "Well, you guys settle in. Sou-kun and I have some business to attend to." Misao said, dragging the Tenken as soon as he lay down the Himura's luggage.

A little bit later, in the restaurant part of the Aoiya:

"Sweep-sweep-sweepity sweep." Soujirou whistled as he, well, swept the floor. "My, but this is boring." Soujirou muttered, and even though he was still smiling, a tiny vein had popped up on the side of the Tenken's forehead. "The things I do for that girl..." Soujirou sighed. While Misao and the Himura's where out shopping and sightseeing, Misao had asked Soujirou the 'favor' of taking up her duties while she was away.

The monotony was broken, however, as the door swung open. 'Finally, a customer.' Soujirou thought. "Good morning, welcome to the Aoiy-" Soujirou started, but was cut off by a flash of blue steel and equally cold blue eyes. "Tenken..." Aoshi said, leveling the blade to the rurouni's neck. 'This won't end well.' Soujirou thought, as he subconsciously tightened his grip on the broom.

"Why are you here, Tenken?" Aoshi asked, no, demanded from Soujirou. "Ara, nothing special, just a wanderer traveling where the winds take him." Soujirou laughed, raising his hands in defense. "I don't think that's the right answer. The truth, Seta, now." Aoshi said, unsheathing his second kodachi. "Truly, Shinomori-san. I just took up a part time job." Soujirou said, trying to look as innocent as he could. "That's not what I've been hearing." Aoshi said, his eyes narrowing.

"I... don't know what you're talking about." Soujirou stammered , now genuinely shaken. 'How can he have known?'

"Wrong answer." Aoshi said, thrusting his kodachi. Steel met wood, however, as the sword only went through Soujirou's broom, splintering the handle where the Tenken's face used to be. "You're skills haven't deteriorated in the least, Tenken. Surely, a rurouni's life is not so hard that you need to use the Shukuchi for everyday purposes?" Aoshi said, wheeling backwards to face Soujirou. "I cannot say for sure what you have heard, Shinomori-san, but I can assure you, I have nothing to do with it." Soujirou said, his face still smiling, but only the barest of grins.

"I cannot believe that, Tenken. Everywhere you've 'wandered', a murder here, a butchering there. All witnesses claiming the suspect seemed to cut the distance between his victim instantaneously? You don't have many excuses." Aoshi scoffed, his image getting blurry. "Kaiten Kenbu?" Soujirou said, amusedly. If the many images of Aoshi could look surprised, now would be the time. "Shinomori-san, with all due respect, your technique would be the death of many a swordsman..." Soujirou began tapping his slipper. "... but do you really think that a dozen ghosts make any difference to someone who can strike down fifty men in a heartbeat?" Soujirou finished, his eyes menacing.

At the market:

Crack!

"Whoa. The cup broke." Misao said as the glass she held her tea in suddenly split in half. "Hmm, that might be a bad omen, de gozaru." Kenshin thought out loud. "I think we've had enough sightseeing for today, Misao-donno. Sessha is getting a bit tired." Kenshin said, rising from the noodle stand they sat at.

Back in the Aoiya:

"Still, I do not want to fight, Shinomori-san sooo.... toodles." Soujirou laughed, tapping his foot one last time and disappearing from Aoshi's sight. The Okashira slowed down his sword dance. "Toodles?" Aoshi repeated. If Aoshi had been a judgmental man, he would have said that that was the gayest thing he'd ever heard.

Author's notes:  
Haha! I have no I dea where this is going! Please review and tell me where this is going! 


	11. Killing Me Softly

Chapter 11

"Damn it..."

"Damn it..."

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

Soujirou cursed in the dark alley, hoping that some higher being might hear his plea. "This wasn't supposed to happen this quickly!" Soujirou muttered, punching the brick wall adjacent to him. "This wasn't supposed to happen..." he whispered, as blood began flow from his torn knuckle.

His smile was barely registering at all anymore, and his eyes were worn and ireful. "But then again, I wasn't supposed to be close to Misao-donno in the first place..." Soujirou sighed, knowing what he had to do. And the burden he must add to his own.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE RAN OUT!" Misao screamed, her expression pained as she looked on to the Okashira. Aoshi only brushed off her outburst.

"I trusted you with a responsibility, Misao, and you've failed me. Not only me, but the Aoiya and the Oniwabanshu as well. Letting that murderer in, what were you thinking?" Aoshi replied, in between his tea. Misao fought the urge to scream even more, and she slowed her breathing.

"Sou-kun, I mean, Seta-san, may have been a killer, Aoshi-sama, but he's changed! I trust him and I-!" Misao began, but was interrupted by Aoshi's hand.

"Safe, Misao? I believe that you have severely misjudged the Tenken. If you had any thought of the Aoiya's safety, you would have had the sense to check on his background." Aoshi said, handing her a newspaper.

"What..." Misao said slightly, not expecting the gesture. Her eyes quickly scanned the paper, her grip on the newspaper getting tighter and tighter until the scrap of paper finally gave out and tore in half.

"That...that isn't true..." she whispered, her hands trembling.

"Misao..." Aoshi began.

"No... Sou-kun is different... he'd never... never..." Misao began as her eyes began to shimmer, not listening.

"The truth is hard to stomach." Aoshi said as he stood from, his seat. "You are now relieved from your duties as Okashira. Goodnight, Misao." Aoshi said, not facing the girl as he closed the door shut behind him.

"That was rather... much, wasn't it, Shinomori-san?" a calm voice said as the Okashira met the cold night air.

"I did what had to be done, Himura-san." Aoshi said, passing the former hitokiri as he climbed the stairway.

"I can only pray." Kenshin sighed, as he turned walked off to find Kaoru.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Off in another part of town, a young man wandered about aimlessly. The streets were clear and only the soft rhythm of his sandals echoed in the late night. Soujirou had business in Kyoto, and he knew that if he didn't take care of it soon, he would lose more than just his freedom. The Tenken shook his head and tried not to think about it. It was bad enough that he had delayed for so long, but now...

Soujirou stopped as he reached a dead end. As he was walking, the buildings around him seemed to come closer together, getting darker and more menacing. Soujirou had been along this path, though. The maze of alleys, broken fences, and crumbling walls could confuse even the most familiar residents of this portion of the city, but Soujirou navigated it with ease. Pushing aside a loose board on an old wooden fence, Soujirou finally reached his destination.

The rotting house before him was just as he had left it, except now the wood had become darker, the smell more damp and choking. In a way, it reflected what Soujirou thought about himself. A pitiful shell. It would have been nice to say that there was some inner beauty to the house, that it's outer appearance hid a charming and inviting interior, but that wasn't the case. Five, six years ago, Soujirou was exactly like this house. Dark, empty, and decrepit, his anger, hate, and sorrow bottled up inside, eating away at the walls of his soul, a deadly mold cannibalizing his heart. "Tsk, so many other safe houses, and they choose this as their headquarters? Pathetic." Soujirou sighed. He resisted the urge to gag as he walked across the uncut courtyard, stepping on an ominous pile of brown material.

"..." Soujirou thought. Scrubbing the muck on the grass, he was relieved to find out that it was only a clod of dirt. Anything else might have just pissed him off to cut out the whole middle part of his well thought out plan, but that would have just been a waste of effort. Plus it would have been extremely... messy.

The pile of earth did, however, sufficiently irritate the Tenken that he found his stride quickened. The faster he dealt with this, the faster he could get out of this depressing place.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Misao..." Kaoru said softly, talking to her friend through the thin shoji door. "... I know you're upset, but Aoshi is just doing what he thinks is best." Kaoru said, trying to comfort the distraught kunoichi.

"Just... just go away!" Misao said in a strangled voice. Kaoru nodded in understanding. Right now, all se could do was give her friend space.

Misao lay on her futon, silently crying. Misao knew that Kaoru was just trying to help her, but all she really wanted to be was left alone right now. She sighed loudly.

It had taken her months to shed even single tear when Aoshi had left, and that was only after hearing from Okina that he had to be put to death. And here she was, barely half an hour later after hearing the news that Sou-kun had left, crying her eyes out!

"Damn it..." she whispered, burying her eyes under her blanket.

TBC

Author's Note:

I'm on an update binge. Well at least it's a hell of a light lighter than my NGE stories. Sorry for the long wait. I really can't give you guys a decent excuse, but I hope you can forgive me. It seems as if people don't like the wimpy Soujirou very much. Why not? I mean, come on, when you think about it, Kenshin's done way wimpier things in the manga and anime, and he still kicks ass, and you know Soujirou does too! So what if they think that Soujirou's a little off, we know that he could take them all down easy. Okay, now that I've finished with that, I have a more serious matter to attend to. Soujirou's going to fight an original character/villain that used to be subordinate of Shishio's in the next chapter. I don't know how to make villians out very good, and I want to give this one a nice gimmick. Another Buntaro would just be boring and it would be cool to see Soujirou go all out on a worthy opponent for once. So come on, let me hear your ideas for a good villain! You don't have to though, as long as you review at all. As always, review people.

FPOTM


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